Evansville's and Madison's race weekends have run back-to-back for so long, it was almost like the two Ohio River courses were meant for each other. Like peanut butter and jelly, death and taxes, or Laurel and Hardy.But Evansville's decision not to stage an Unlimited race this past weekend disrupted the harmony that has marked the beginning of the season since 2000 and left fans and competitors alike searching high and low for something to do.

Miss Chrysler Jeep Superstores unlimited hydroplane U-3 will return to the water during the 2009 Chrysler Jeep Superstores Detroit APBA Gold Cup races July 10-12 on the Detroit River. It will be driven by Memphis, Mich. (near Port Huron) favorite Jimmy King, originally from New Baltimore.

“I understand why they did the new start," said U-1 driver Steve David. "We’ll adjust to it just fine.” Being an "old boat racer," David said, we'd just as soon go out there and bump around and drive, but "whatever they throw at you, we’ll take it and make it work.”

"Last year, it was a dream come true," said U-5 driver Jeff Bernard. "Going to Madison as defending winner… that place will mean something to me the rest of my life. I’ll never forget."

It will be tougher. J. Michael Kelly moving into the U-7 and defending U-1 champion Oh Boy! Oberto/Miss Madison and Steve David. Not to mentionDave Villwock returning to the full circuit in the U-16.

“Some of the other teams may not have the depth of equipment of (U-16) Elam, but we can overcome a lot," said U-1 driver Steve David. “They (U-16) can go out knowing the lane they want to start in and can set up that way,” said Bernard.

"The competition's never been better," said David. "Now you're talking 7 boats deep (with a chance to win)."

"Going to different countries is cool," said Bernard. "Hopefully, the exhibition in Kelowna (British Columbia) will be a race (in the future).

What Ken Muscatel and the group putting together the Thunder on the Ohio event for Evansville have done - in a very short amount of time - is nothing less than spectacular.

This race site could have been gone forever. Now, not only will the Unlimited Hydroplanes continue to race there... and keep the tradition alive... but Evansville has a new, major league event in town.

It's not just hydros... it's a world class Rib fest... it's a classic car show... and now... it's a major concert venue! Each one of the events is worthy of its own promotion, but you can go to all of them in one amazing weekend, for one price!

Deck2Deck combines the thrill of unlimited hydroplane racing and the excitement of online fantasy sports. You already follow the American Boat Racing Association series... why not join in the competition?

Hacker Boat Company was formed in Detroit in 1920 but soon moved to Mt. Clemens. The company grew rapidly by building extremely fast runabouts, and it added more factory space in the late 1920s. At the same time, Hacker was designing cruisers to be built by other firms. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, his Gold Cup race boats My Sweetie and Miss Pepsi - both built by Les Staudacher of Kawkawlin - raced against the new three-point hydroplanes. However, the era of the conventional hydroplane was on the wane.

An exhibit of racing boats will include Miss America X, a boat with four Packard engines, built by Gar Woods and winner of a 1932 race on the Detroit River; and the Miss Chrysler-Jeep unlimited hydroplane.

ABRA Chairman Sam Cole announced today that Valencia, California based Mechanix Wear has signed on as an associate sponsor of the 2009 ABRA racing season, and will receive “Official Product Status” from the series.

“Mechanix Wear is an outstanding brand, highly respected by America’s work force and especially the racing industry, and a company we are very proud to have associated with the American Boat Racing Association,” said Cole.

Mechanix Wear Gloves became a major part of the American racing landscape when their gloves were used by pit crews at the 1992 Daytona 500. Since then, the company has developed a complete line of quality racing equipment, gloves and shoes, as well as specialized gloves and equipment for construction, industrial, gardening, tactical and other automotive uses.

Mechanix Wear Director of Racing Ted Abdon said, “Mechanix Wear is very excited to be a part of the ABRA series and we look forward to working with this exciting and unique form of motorsport. We are confident that we will receive valuable input from the teams and series officials about our products and will use that information to keep Mechanix Wear the Number 1 glove in all aspects of racing.

As part of the associate sponsorship, Mechanix Wear will provide each team with gloves and other merchandise. Gloves will also be provided to all ABRA staff and Kevlar gloves and heat sleeves will be provided to the ABRA Safety Crew.

The 2009 “Mechanix Wear Crew Chief of the Year” will be awarded a trophy and a product certificate for additional Mechanix Wear merchandise. Information on Mechanix Wear products can be found at http://www.mechanix.com/

Video of the collision between the GP-17 Shockwave racing and the GP-19. Ryan Mallow catches the roostertail of Greg Hopp and hooks in front of Dustin Echols, who has no place to go but over the top of Ryan. Thankfully both drivers walked away.

Note from James Crisp: Also important to note that while I put it together with some of my images, many people contributed photos. Among those were Chris Denslow, Phil Kunz, Jim Simpson and several others. It was done at the request of Jeff Bernard who helped greatly during a trying time for him and his family. Thanks to ALL who helped. Rest in peace Terry.

U-1, as the other boats, spent the off-season tweaking equipment and settings to run at the lower 4.1 gpm max fuel flow. Yes, Steve David is back to defend his title. U-1 boat photo tour >>

U-3

U-3 team has what they describe as three "virtually new" engines to start the season. Competing with the turbines running at a lower fuel flow, Jimmy King and the U-3 should be better able to keep up speed without burning through engines as quickly. U-3 boat photo tour >>

U-5 / U-7Jeff Bernard returns in the U-5. The boat has a Terry Troxell sticker on the side for 2009. J. Michael Kelly takes over driving duties for the U-7 in 2009. U-5/U-7 photo boat tour >>

U-10

U-10 is not planning to run in 2009 as of right now.

U-13

U-13 is not planning to run at this time, although Detroit may be a possibility. If it does run, the U-13 team will need a new crew chief and driver as J. Michael Kelly will be driving the U-7 this year, replacing Mike Allen, and U-13 crew chief Curt Tavener, who is crewing the U-100 this season.

U-16

Erick Ellstrom's U-16 team plans to run the entire season with driver Dave Villwock behind-the-wheel. U-16 photo boat tour >>

U-17

U-17 will also run the entire season with driver Kip Brown, last year's rookie-of-the-year. The team reports much better performance in testing. U-17 photo boat tour >>

U-22

Mike Webster will make his unlimited hydroplane debut in the U-22, a re-built piston boat now running with a turbine engine. The boat will debut in Madison. U-22 photo boat tour >>

U-25

Ken Muscatel's re-built U-25 won't be ready for Madison and may not be ready to hit the water before Tri-Cities. For the first few races, he'll be sitting in a rented hydro, most likely the boat Fred Leland ran last year as the U-100. U-25 photo boat tour >>

James Shane was released from University Hospital this morning, a day after being involved in a high speed crash near Willow Bay. The other man who was hurt, Pierre Maheu, remains in the hospital in fair condition. Maheu was trapped in the cockpit of his boat before rescue workers could free him from the wreckage.

A hydroplane boat crash at the Hydrofest race on Onondaga Lake Saturday injured two boat drivers. Hydroplane driver Jimmy Shane, of Havre de Grace, Md., was rounding the second turn of the mile and a quarter course at about 100 to 130 mph when his boat ran into another operated by Pierre Maheu, of Canada, that was dead in the water.

The NM 33 will race the boat for the 2009 season with "Troxzilla" remaining on the cockpit lid in honor of Terry Troxell. The teams original goal to go after the National High Point Championship is what what we still plan to do. In addition to running the Western and Eastern Divisionals and the rest of the region 10 races we have decided to take the package to Hampton for the Summer Nationals as well. Terry really wanted to go to Hampton this year but we had not planned on it until now.

The American Boat Racing Association is implementing a plan that will determine the top qualifier during a two-hour window on the opening day of this year's Madison Regatta.Dubbed "Pole Position Friday," the plan calls for all boats to take to the water for qualifying attempts similar to qualifying at the Indianapolis 500.On Wednesday, the Regatta got the OK from the ABRA to put the plan into action, less than three days after it was put forth to the race sites.

Please come to the memorial to visit and celebrate the life of a great man. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Make a Wish Foundation or the Hydroplane & Raceboat Musem in remembrance of Terry Troxell.

The entire U-13 team is shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of our 2005 Gold Cup Champion driver Terry Troxell. His untimely death is especially devastating to me personally. Terry accomplished in our first unlimited race what many unlimited owners may never accomplish in a live time. For this I am eternally grateful and proud to know that Terry and I will forever have our names linked together on the prestigious APBA Gold Cup. Not only was he a great driver but he was also a great friend. My deepest sympathy and that of the entire U-13 team go out to his wife Sue and the entire Troxell family for their loss.

Not to get too analytical, but some of us who monitor such things will be watching this week to see whether Tri-Staters are ready for a new and different Freedom Festival. We will be curious as to whether folks are ready for a four-day riverfront event geared more along the lines of the popular West Side Nut Club Fall Festival than the old Downtown festival that grew from the Press Club bierstube to a major unlimited hydroplane event and now to a new format.

The Boeing-sponsored, bio-fuel Unlimited Hydroplane is scheduled to be in Tri-Cities, Washington Water Follies weekend to make an appearance along with Chip Hanauer. The plan is for the hydro to be there Thursday and Friday, before heading back to Seattle to take part in the Seafair parade.

Do you remember the days of building a wooden hydroplane to pull behind your bike? In honor of every Seattleite who has this memory, Seafair is partnering with McLendon Hardware to re-energize this longstanding tradition.

Curt Tavener, who served as crew chief for the U-13 Spirit of Detroit team for the past several seasons, will serve in the same capacity for the U-100 team along with his brother, Barney.The Taverners have completely refurbished Leland's 1999 hull, which the team will campaign in 2009. The hull does not have the full front canard wing, standard on all current Unlimiteds, but the Leland hull that does have a full canard has linkage problems with the wing that cannot be corrected at this time.

Dave LeClercq transformed a childhood fascination with boats into a decades-long run as the most productive boat builder for the Alaska fishing fleet. He died June 6 on Mercer Island. He was 93.As a boy growing up in Alki, Mr. LeClercq joined with childhood friends Chuck Hickling and Ted Jones — both later legends of the hydroplane circuit — to build racing boats.

June 13Saturday8am - Car show entry open.10am - Show begins11am -6pm - boat racing at the Jefferson St. Ramp, including live music, beverage garden, and BBQ12 Noon - Car entry is closed - Beverage Gardens and live music begins until 10pm at the American Legion Celebration Village 2146 SE Monroe4pm - Awards ceremony - Car show hosted by Police Chief Jordan and Damon Coates4:30pm - Cruise on Out of Here Parade - cars

June 14Sunday11am -6pm boat racing at the Jefferson St. Ramp, including live music, beverage garden, and BBQ

For 2009 the U-25 is getting a total facelift by master boat builder Ron Jones, Jr., with the expectation of being one of the top boats this year. For all intents and purposes, it is a brand new, “state-of-the-art” racer.

We've posted new material this morning to Go3Racing.com. Check it out. On your visit to the site, sign up for our newsletter. We'll notify you immediately when we update the site with news of the Go3 Racing Team and when news breaks on the ABRA tour. The best thing it is Free!